Getting Started with Steak Alfredo
Alright, so today I felt like making some steak alfredo. It’s one of those comfort food things, you know? Wasn’t too complicated, just needed to get the steps right.
First thing, I went through the fridge. Found a decent piece of steak, maybe ribeye or sirloin, can’t remember exactly, but it looked good. Also needed pasta, fettuccine is the classic choice, so I grabbed that from the pantry. For the sauce, the essentials: heavy cream, butter, garlic, and a block of parmesan cheese. Real parmesan, not the shaky stuff, makes a difference.
Prepping the Ingredients
Okay, prep time. I took the steak out first, let it sit on the counter for maybe 20 minutes to lose some of the chill. Makes it cook more evenly. While it was sitting, I seasoned it pretty simply. Just plenty of salt and coarse black pepper on both sides. Patted it down good.
Then, I got the garlic ready. Minced up maybe 3 or 4 cloves. I like garlic, so I usually go a bit heavy. Also got the parmesan grated. Better to grate it yourself, melts smoother. Had a big pot of water on the stove, salted it well, and brought it to a boil for the pasta later.
Cooking the Steak and Pasta
Got my cast iron skillet nice and hot. Added a splash of oil. Once it was shimmering, I laid the steak in there. Got a good sear on the first side, maybe 3-4 minutes. Flipped it, added a knob of butter and a sprig of rosemary I found. Basted it a bit as the other side cooked. Pulled it off when it felt about medium-rare and let it rest on a cutting board. This resting part is important, keeps it juicy.
While the steak was resting, I dropped the fettuccine into the boiling water. Gave it a stir so it wouldn’t stick. Just followed the package time, checking it near the end to make sure it was al dente – still had a little bite.
Making the Alfredo Sauce
Sauce time. In a separate pan (or you could wipe out the steak pan, I used a different one), I melted a good chunk of butter over medium heat. Tossed in the minced garlic, cooked it just until it smelled great, maybe a minute. Didn’t want it to burn.
Then, I poured in the heavy cream. Let it warm up, stirring it now and then. Once it started to simmer gently around the edges, I turned the heat down low. Started adding the grated parmesan cheese, a handful at a time, whisking constantly until it melted smoothly into the cream. Didn’t want clumps. Kept whisking until the sauce thickened up nicely. Tasted it, added a bit more salt and pepper. Simple stuff, really.
Putting It All Together
Pasta should be done by now. I drained it, but saved a little bit of that starchy pasta water just in case the sauce was too thick. Dumped the drained fettuccine right into the pan with the alfredo sauce. Tossed it all together gently until every strand was coated.
Now for the steak. It had rested enough. Sliced it against the grain into strips. Looked perfectly pink inside.
Served it up by piling the saucy fettuccine onto plates. Laid the sliced steak right over the top. Sometimes I mix the steak in, but today I felt like putting it on top. Maybe added a tiny sprinkle more parmesan and some chopped parsley I had.
And that was it. Sat down and ate. Turned out pretty good. Creamy sauce, tender steak, perfectly cooked pasta. Solid meal, took maybe 30-40 minutes total once I got going. Worth the effort.
